Narasiṃha, mythe et culte

Résumé 0

This is a study of one of Viṣṇu’s classical avatāra’s that has been selected mainly because it allows a comparison between the well-known myth of that incarnation of Viṣṇu and the present-day cult, which is widespread especially in Andhra Pradesh.A structural study of the myth is attempted on two distinct versions, that of Viṣṇu-purāṇa I 17-20 and that of Bhāgavata-purāṇa VII 3-8, which have complementary aspects, in order to clarify the idea of avatāra in its relationship to dharma, or socio-cosmic order, on the one hand, and to bhakti, or the religion of individual salvation, on the other.The king of the asura’s opposed to Narasiṃha is pictured as a follower of Brahmā, who rejects Viṣṇu’s supremacy and uses Brahmā’s boon to upset the dharma, by driving away the gods from Heaven and substituting his own sway for that of Indra. Narasiṃha kills him in order to save his bhakta Prahlāda and, at the same time, restore the dharmic order of the world. He is thus the god of bhakti and yoga and the avatāra. He kills for the good of his disciple and of the whole world. The murder of Hiraṇyakaśipu is equated to a sacrifice: this is the pure doctrine of the Bhagavad-gītā, which reconciles the values of yoga and sannyāsa with those of karman in wordly life. Every act must be made into a disinterested sacrifice.